Leather-splitting machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. V

S. ROSS, Jr. LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

No. 378,179. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

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(No Model.)

S.ROSS,J1-. LEATHER SPLITTINGMAGHINE.

No. 378,179. Patented P613821, 1888.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet s.

S. ROSS, Jr.. LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE. No. 378,179. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

S. ROSS, Jr. LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE, I No 378,179. Patented Feb. 21-, 1888.

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UNTTET) STATES PATENT tripe.

SIMON ROSS, JR, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

LEATHER-SPLITTlNG MACHENE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,179, dated February 21, 1888.

Application filed August 18, 1886. Serial No.2iL103.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIMON Ross, J12, of Newport, Campbell county, Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather-Splitting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the draw ings accompanying and forming a parthereof, in which Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line 31 Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line 2 a, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a top view of the movable arms which carry the lower feedroll detached. Fig. 7 is an edge view and plan of the splitting-knife. Fig. 8 is an end and plan view of the eccentric-bolt.

My invention belongs more especially to that class of leather-splitting machines the object of which is to split a piece of scrap leather to a hinge at one side, so that by spreading the flaps or parts of the split piece into the same plane afiat piece of leather may he formed which will have twice the area and onehalf the thickness of the original unsplit piece. Such split pieces of scrap-leather are shown and referred to in Letters Patent to Jeremiah MflVatson, No. ll3,36i,dated March 18, 1879.

lVhile my present invention is particularly adapted for splitting pieces of leather in the manner described,'yet it may by very slight adjustment be used for the entire severing of the leather into layers having any proportionate thickness to the original unsplit piece.

The pieces of leather which are to be split vary in thickness, and different parts of the same piece vary from each other in thickness; but it is desirable, if the leather is to be split centrally at one point, that it be split centrally throughout, and to accomplish this the edge of the knife must be in the center of the space between the fecd-rolls,andif this space changes, by reason of a change in the thickness of the leather passing between the rolls, the knife must automatically change its position accord ingly.

In the following description of my machine shown in the drawings which embodies my invention, I have used like'letters of reference to indicate like parts throughout.

( X0 model. i

The stationary frame of the machine is rep resented at A. This frame may be of any shape. I find the shape shown a convenient one. B is the shaft of the upper feedroll, which is journalcd in the frame A, and car ries at one end the corrugated fcedroll O and at the other a gear, D, and the belt-pulleys E, by which power is applied. Directly beneath the shaft B, I arrange a shaft, F, which is journaled in movable arms a b, which are fast on the short rocker shaft (1, journaled in the frame A. The shaft F carries at one end the corrugated feed-roll G and at the other a gear, H, which meshes with the gear D on shaft B, and by means of which the shaft F is driven.

Underneath the bearing of the shaft F is placed a spiral spring, J, secured to the frame A or resting thereon and designed to support the movable arms a Z) and hold the lower feed-roll up against or near to the upper feedroll. A movable knife-block, K, is dovetailed vertically in the frame A, in order that it may slide upward and downward therein. This block is provided with a projection, L, to the top of which the knife is bolted by means of a screw-bolt, f, which passes through a slot in the knife, thus admitting of its lateral adjustment relative to the feed-rolls. At one side of the block a strip, 71-, is placed on which the adj usting-screwsj bear. This arrangement on ables the wear of the block to be taken up. The rear face of the block is connected, by means of an eccentric-bolt, 3, (see Fig. 8,) with a block, 7;, which is pivoted at its upper end to the movable arm I). A setscrew, in, is set in the boss on the rear face of the knife-block and bears against the ecccntric-bolt, serving to keep it fromturning when the machine is in use.

The purpose of the eccentric is the adjust ment of the knife vertically, so that it may be set nearer to one of the feedrolls than to the other. This may be easily accomplished by loosening the set-screw 7c and turning the eccentric. The outer face ofthe knife-block also serves as a guide for the nnsplit edge of the leather after it passes the splittingknife, the distance between the inner end of the shaft and the face of the block serving to gage the width of the unsplit margin which it is desired to leave as a hinge.

In front of the feed-rolls I provide a gage, M, which consists of a flat piece of metal provided with a spindle or shank, p, projecting at right angles thereto, and which is inserted in a hole or socket in the arm 1', which projects from the frame A. By means of this spindle the gage may be adjusted relatively to the line of the inner end of the splittingknife.

The operation of the machine will be readily understood. A piece of leather,which has been first trimmed to a straight edge at one side, is placed with the straight edge against the guide M and fed between the feed-rolls, which seize it and force it onto the splittingknife, from which it passes split to a hinge at the edge. \Vhcn the leather enters the feedrolls, it forces the lower feed-roll downward against the pressure of spring J, thus moving downward the arms a Z) and carrying the knife and its block downward adistance proportionate'to the downward movement of the lower feed-roll. If it is desired to split the leather centrally, the knife should move downwardly one-half the distance of the lower feed-roll, which obviously will result when the knifeblock is attached to the arm 7) at a point just midway between the axis of the lower feed-roll and the axis of the rocker-shaft d.

A set-screw, A, (see Fig. 4,)is set in the frame A, and operates against the pressure of spring J to bear down the arms a b, and thus regulate the pressure of the feed-rolls on the stock.

before it enters the feed-rolls may be secured in any suitable manner to the stationary frame in front of theserol'ls, if desired. The knife may also be so mounted on its support as to admit of adjustment nearer to or farther from the face of the knife-block K, and thus change the width of the unsplit margin. I have not shown such an adjustment, because in practice the width of the unsplit margin is substantially the same for all ordinary thicknesses of scrap-leather, and also because any competent mechanic can easily arrange the knife with such an adjustment should it be deemed necessary;

That I claim is- 1. In a leather-splitting machine, the combination, with a pair of feed-rolls and a movable support for one of the said rolls, of asplittingknife, a movable knife-block, alink, as 70, pivotally attached to said movable support, and an eccentric-bolt by which the said link and knife-block are connected, whereby the said knife may be adjusted relatively to the movable feed-roll, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the fixed feed-roll O and its shaft B, of the movable feed-roll G, its shaft F, the movable support in which the said shaft F is journaled, the spring J, for pressing the movable rolls toward the fixed roll, the splitting-knife having its edge parallel to the axes of the said rolls, and the movable knife-block connected with the said movable support, substantially as set forth.

SIMON ROSS, J R.

Witnesses:

THEODORE SMITH, W. H. RANDALL. 

